Means for operating sliding steps.



W. S. ADAMS. MEANS FOR OPERATING SLIDING STEPS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11, 1911.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

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MEANS FOR OPERATING SLIDING STEPS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.11,1911.

Patented Mar. 10, 191i 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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' W. S. ADAMS. MEANS FOR OPERATING SLIDING STEPS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11, 1911.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

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W. S. ADAMS. MEANS FOR OPERATING SLIDINGSTEPS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11. 1.911.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO WASHINUTON, D. c.

ii T '%l- STATES OFFICE.

WALTER S. ADAMS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE J. G.

BRILL COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

MEANS FOR OPERATING SLIDING STEPS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WALTER S. ADAMs, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Means for Operating Sliding Steps, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide mechanism by which the steps at the side of the platform or the body of a passenger car can be moved into and out of position, preferably, simultaneously with the opening and closing of the doors.

My invention relates particularly to car construction in which there are two pairs of doors, with a movable step in front of each pair of doors; the steps being moved either out of position and under the platform, or into position at the side of the platform.

In the accompanying drawings :-Figure 1, is a side view of one end of a passenger car, illustrating my invention; one pair of doors being closed and the other pair of doors being open; Fig. 2, is a sectional plan view on the line 22, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, is a sectional elevation on the line 33, Fig. 2; Fig. 4, is an enlarged side view, partly in section, illustrating one of the steps; Fig. 5, is a sectional plan view of the step operating mechanism; the step being shown in dotted lines; Fig. 6, is a perspective view of one of the step levers; Fig. 7, is a side View of one of the operating bars; Fig. 8, is a sectional perspective view illustrating the operating bar shown in Fig. 7; and Fig. 9, is a view of a modification.

Referring to the drawings, A is a platform of a passenger car, and 13-13 and D-D are the doors which close one side of the platform; the remainder of the platform being closed by the ordinary vestibule casing A. In some instances the vestibule casing may be entirely closed with the exception of the doorways at one side or, Where the car is capable of being reversed then there may be a doorway at the opposite side of the vestibule, closed by any suitable type of door. The doors B and D are arranged in pairs and both doors, in the present instance, swing outward. The mechanism for operating each pair of doors is such that one pair of doors can be operated independently of the other, but it will be understood that the mechanism can be so arranged that both Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 11, 1911.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

Serial No. 643,569.

pairs of doors can be opened and closed simultaneously.

CC are the pivot rods on which the doors BB are mounted and EE are the plvot rods on which the doors DD are mounted. The several rods are mounted in bearings 0, secured to the frame of the car,

and extend below the doors, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

B is a sliding step located under the doors B, and D is a sliding step located under the doors D. The step B is carried by bracket-levers F F mounted on the pivot rods C-C respectively and the step D is carried by bracket levers GG mounted on the rods EE respectively. These bracketlevers support the steps and in order to take the strain off the rods, I groove the hubs F and G of the bracket-levers, as at f and g respectively, and the grooved portions of these lever hubs are mounted in bearings I, which are secured to the riser J of the steps, which is rigidly secured to the framework of the car.

The bracket supports F-F and G G' are slotted at f and g, respectively, as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 4, 5 and 6, and eX- tending through these slots are pins 5 which are rigidly secured to the steps B and D so that when the pivot rods CC or E-F/ are turned, said bracket levers are either moved outward to project the steps in front of the edge of the platform or moved inward so as to withdraw and lock said steps under the platform.

In order to hold the steps in rigid engage ment with the bracket levers, I mount a spring Z) on each pin 5 and these springs are held in place, in the present instance, by a plate 6 and cotter pin 6 the latter passing through an opening in the main pin. These main pins may be provided with antifriction rollers adapted to the slots of the bracket levers, if found desirable, so as to allow for the free movement of the step on the brackets.

I preferably provide wear plates d secured to the under side of the step so as to take the wear of each bracket as it is turned on the pivot. The construction of the corn necting mechanism of the step D is similar to the mechanism above described.

The doors may be operated from the con ductors or mot-ormans stand on the plat form of the car, and in the present instance,

the mechanism employed is as follows: M and N are two operating bars which are adapted to guides secured to the bulk head or transverse partition K of the car, in the present instance. The bar M is connected to an arm m on a rock shaft M, which is mounted in bearings in brackets P secured to the under side of the platform. On the rock shaft M is a second arm m which is connected by a rod m to an arm 0 on the lower end of the pivot rod C. Thus by imparting vertical movement to the operating rod M the pivot rod C will be turned in its bearings. In order that both the rods C-C' will move in unison, 1 form on each bracket lever FF an arm and these arms are connected by a rod f and, as the two bracket levers move from one position to another, they carry the step so as to project it in front of the platform or retract it, as desired.

The operating rod N is constructed in a manner similar to the operating rod M, and is connected to a bell-crank lever a journaled on a stud N carried by one of the brackets P; said lever being connected by a rod a to an arm 0 on the end of the pivot rod E. The two pivot rods EE are connected together by a rod 9 so as to move in unison; said rod 9 being attached to the arms on the bracket levers GG, in the same manner as the bracket levers FF are connected.

On each of the operating rods M and N is a lug s, and these lugs are adapted to notches is carried by the partition K. Carried by each of the operating rods is a flat spring 8 which tends to force the lug of the respective operating rod against the base of itsnotch so that when said lugs s are in the notches in, they will be held in place by said springs. The lugs are preferably beveled so that they can be readily forced'in and out of the notches by the operator when it is desired to open or close the doors and operate the steps. The construction of both operating rods being alike, only one is shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

By the above described construction, I am enabled to move the steps in position in front of the doorway when the doors are opened, and when the doors are closed the steps are retracted so that it is impossible for any one to board or enter the car while it is in motion.

In order to prevent the step from tilting on the bracket levers, 1 preferably extend the riser J to a point directly above the tread of the step, as illustrated in Fig. 3, so that as soon as a person places his weight upon the step, the rear end of the step will be held down by the riser.

While I have illustrated the bracket levers of each pair of doors connected together by rods, these rods may be dispensed out departing from the essential features of 7 the invention. 7

In some instances, the operating mechanism may be connected directly to the steps,

in which case the doors will be moved through the medium of the steps, as illustrated in Fig. 9.

I claim:

1. The combination of a riser; a pair of swiveled bracket levers; a step mounted on the bracket levers; and means for operating said levers to project the step in front of or to the rear of the riser.

2. The combination of apair of rods; bracket levers mounted on the rods; a step carried by the bracket levers; a riser; and means for operating said rods whereby the brackets may be moved to project the step in front of or to the rear of the riser.

3. The combination of a riser; a step; a pair of vertically arranged rods; a pair of bracket levers carried by said rods; bearings for the bracket levers mounted on the riser; and means for operating the step so as to project the same in front of or to the rear of the riser.

4:. The combination of a riser; a step; a

pair of pivotally mounted bracket levers; there being one bracket lever at each side of the step; said lovers being slotted, and pins carried by the step andextending into the slots ofthe levers whereby movement of the latter may be transmitted to the step.

5. The combination of a riser; a step; a vertical rod at each side of the step; a bracket lever carried by each rod and eX- tending under the step; means operatively connecting both of said bracket levers with the step; an arm operatively connected with one of the rods; and actuating means connected to said arm.

6. The combination of a riser; a step; a vertical rod-at each side of the step; a bracket lever carried by each rod and extending under the step; an arm operatively connected with one of the rods; actuating means connected to said arm; with a rod connecting the brackets so that both rods will be turned in unison.

7. The combination of a pair of doors; pivot rods on which the doors are mounted; bracket levers mounted on the rods below the doors; and a step mounted on said levers and operatively connected thereto so that when the rods are turned to open and close the doors the step will be projected or retracted.

8. The combination of a platform; a pair I of doors arranged to close an opening at side of the platform; a step horizontally movable under the platform and in front of the doors; vertically arranged rods on which the doors are hung; said rods extending below the platform; a bracket lever mounted on each rod and operatively connected to the step; and hand-controlled lever-mechanism attached to one of said rods whereby the door may be opened and closed and the step projected or retracted simultaneously with the movement of the doors.

9. The combination of a pair of doors; a step mounted under the doors; pivot rods; bracket levers connected to the pivot rods and supporting the step; each bracket lever being slotted; pins on the step projecting through the slots of said bracket levers; bearings on the frame of the car in which the bracket levers are mounted; arms on the bracket levers; a connecting rod attached to said arms; a second arm operatively connected to one of the rods; and actuating means attached to said second arm.

10. The combination of a platform; a pair of doors closing an opening at one side of the platform; pivot rods on which the doors are mounted; sald rods extending belOw the platform; a bracket lever mounted on each rod; a step supported by the bracket levers and operatively connected thereto; said levers being connected so as to operate in unison; a vertical operating rod projecting through the platform; and mechanism connecting said rod with one of the doorcarrying pivot rods.

11. The combination of a pair of doors; pivot rods therefor; a slotted bracket lever mounted on each rod; a step carried by the bracket levers; pins on the step projecting through the lots; springs on the pins acting to draw the step onto the bracket levers; with means for operating the mechanism.

12. The combination of a pair of doors; pivot rods on which the doors are mounted; bracket levers carried by the rods; a riser mounted under the doors; and a step operatively connected to the bracket levers and adapted to travel under the riser; the rear end of the step when projected resting under the riser, so that the step will be prevented from tilting on the bracket levers when pressure is applied to its outer edge.

13. The combination of a platform; two pairs of doors; at one side of the platform; risers under each of said pairs of doors; pivot rods for the doors, bracket levers mounted on said pivot rods; one step being supported by one pair of levers and the other step being supported by the other pair of levers; the rods of each pair being connected; and independent operating mechanism connected to one of the rods of each pair so that when the doors are opened the steps will'be projected and when the doors are closed the steps will be retracted.

14:. The combination of a pair of doors; pivot rods on which said doors are mounted; bracket levers mounted on the lower ends of said rods; a horizontally movable step operatively connected with said levers; the construction being such that rotative movement imparted to the rods or bracket levers will effect simultaneous operation of the doors and step.

15. The combination of a pair of doors; pivot rods on which said doors are mounted; bracket levers carried by the rods; a horizontally movable step operatively connected to said levers; and means for imparting a horizontal swinging movement to said levers whereby the step may be projected or retracted simultaneously with the opening and closing of the doors.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WALTER S. ADAMS.

Witnesses:

HENRY HowsoN, Jos. H. KLEIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Gommiuioner of Estonia, Washington, D. G. 

